SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Alex McLean had a number of memorable moments in a standout season with the Marshwood High School boys soccer team. But the one he remembers the fondest was a game in which he was decidedly not the star.

It was late September and Marshwood trailed rival Noble, 2-0. McLean was lifted by coach Ben Deschene for getting a little too hot under the collar and was forced to sit most of the second half. McLean could only watch as his teammates rallied for three goals in a span of a little more than seven minutes to take the lead.

“Our team fought so hard to get back,” McLean said. “I begged my coach to get back into the game on defense. He gave me that chance again and I wanted to prove I could keep my cool and help my team win the game.”

McLean wasn't even primarily a defender. In fact, he much prefers playing offense to defense. But getting back into that game and proving he could help his team in a defensive role was important to McLean, and to the Hawks, who held on for the 3-2 win.

“I just needed to be on the field to help them,” McLean said. “I felt awful because I wasn't there and it kind of stunk to be on the bench when they came back. But I wanted to be in that game. It was nerve-wracking. There was a (Noble) penalty shot at the end, but the kid missed it.”

Over the years, McLean played almost every position except goalie for the Hawks. He was used this season primarily as a midfielder, and scored nine goals. He is Foster's 2012 boys soccer player of the year.

“He's one of the most competitive players I've ever coached,” Deschene said. “We had so many injuries this year, we asked him to play some weird positions. We knew we could put him somewhere and he'd do well.”

As for the Noble game, it was McLean's leadership ability more than his skill that shined through.

“I wanted him to demonstrate that leadership,” Deschene said. “The game was chippy, and we were down 2-0. He came up to me, told me he was sorry and I told him if he wanted to be a leader, he had to go back on defense.”

For his part, McLean prefers playing up front, but just wants to be on the field.

“I like to play striker,” McLean said. “I like to score. I just want to play, I don't care where. I'd prefer to play striker, but whatever helps the team is what I want to do, wherever I can.”

Marshwood slipped slightly this year, record-wise, going 8-6-1 after a 9-4-2 campaign in 2011. But the Hawks have now had three winning seasons in a row, preceded by five years of five wins or fewer.

“You always want to make the playoffs,” McLean said. “If you're bad, kids who are younger aren't going to want to play. If we keep getting the program better, it's just going to be good for the program. You want to be known with the Scarboroughs and the Gorhams and the top teams.”

McLean thinks Marshwood earned that respect this year. The Hawks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but few teams entered matches against Marshwood assuming a win was guaranteed.

“We always play hard,” McLean said. “We always want to win and give teams challenges. We didn't let anyone walk all over us or give them a win.”

McLean started playing soccer when he was 5 with the Eliot Rec Department. He said soccer and baseball are tied for his No. 1 sport.

“I like the competition in soccer,” McLean said. “It's such a fun sport to play. It's one of those things I can't explain.”

This year, McLean became the first Marshwood player in more than a decade to earn first-team all-SMAA honors.

“That meant a lot,” McLean said. “I've worked so hard at soccer all of my life. It's one of my favorite sports along with baseball. I've always loved to play.”

With the end of his high-school years on the horizon, McLean has made it a goal to play baseball at a Division III school as an outfielder.